Poetry Kaleidoscope: Guide to Poetry

Accentual Verse

Accentual verse has a fixed number of stresses per
line or
stanza regardless
of the number of syllables that are present. It is common in languages
that are
stress timed such as
English as opposed to
syllabic verse, which is common in
syllable timed languages such as classical
Latin.

Accentual verse derives its musical qualities by the alternation of stressed
and unstressed syllables in more or less regular patterns, as in this example:
to be or not to be (bold represents stressed
syllables). This is an example of the
iamb, the
metrical foot
that is most commonly used in English-language poetry.

Another common effect is to alternate lines of different syllable count, or
length. For example, in this verse from the ballad Barbara Allen, the
first and third lines have four stresses each while the second and fourth have
three.

In Scarlet towne, where I was borne,
There was a faire maid dwellin,
Made every youth crye wel-awaye !
Her name was Barbara Allen.